St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-02
Fayette Marsh Brings Action
ad Against Stordock Not as
ia Reeds Attorney.
It Is for the Benefit of the
p Grand Old Republic
> can Party.
Mr.. Marsh Tells How "the In
II
cubus" Came to Be Upon
Is the machine"

who preferred the complaint against
Warden Stordock, ''that my recent action
was inspirrd by ex-Warden Reed or his
friends, with view to getting even for
the investigation into his management
of the affairs Of the Saltwater peniten-
tiary. want to distinctly disavOw any
such motive and will cheerfully give my
reason for taking legal action against
the present warden. Some time ago l
was selected by the district attorney at
Saltwater as his deputy, because of his
failing health, which prevented him
from appearing in court as public
prosecutor, and after had completed
my engagement with ex-Warden Reed,
and had received compensation for my
services, turned my attention to Stor-
dock in the interest of the public well
fare. L did not consider him proper
person to hold the position of warden,
and as Republican, thought some
thing should be done to effect his dis
miSsal, and score point for the present
state government. 1t is over a
week ago that l severed my
connection with ex-Warden Reed,
and he had no hand whatever
i'll the present proceedings. 1t was i'm
pOi Iuiit iOi iiC do q PuOiC prosecutor W
be sure of the attendance, as witness,
of the Burner woman, who l learned
was about to leave the state on writ
which required the sanction of the
governor. Accordingly, | precipitated
my preparations of the case against
StOrdOck so as to have a case pending in
court by which | could compel the de-
tention of the needed witness and this
will account for my action Saturday in
filing the bill of complaint. l went to
the governor and stated my case frankly
and fully to him and the attorney gen.
eral of the state conceded with me in
the opinion that entertained, and the
woman will be held as l desired. was
not satisfied to sit patiently by and see
the Odium brought
UPON THE PARTY
in the state that StOrdOck's actions have
created, and for this l have been made
"a target, but | guess | can stand it."
The precedent established by; Senator
Davis when he was governor of Mime
sofa and charges were preferred against
an official, less important than
those against Stordock, of demand
ing the instant resignation of
the offending official, could well
have been followed by Gov. McGill.
And he would have saved himself
great deal of trouble and annoyance by
so doing and would have relieved the
Republican party of Minnesota of an
tfIcubus But no, he sat silently by,
While an estimable citizen was being
maligned and the happiness of his
family wrecked, until charges were
smade against his appointee, and then he
comes to his rescue and says he must
protest against trying Stordock in the
A nd thfcf-' t,A.y1 HEyf rtrf1HnG
that the governor defends, who is he
and what is his record? Let Messrs.
Stanford Newell, Pillsbury ana other
Republican leaders of this statebe heard
from OH the subject. 1t was StordOck's
ambition TO be secretary of state at the
last election, and because it was
thought that he controlled a number of
Norwegian voters he was listened to,
but his claims in this respect were
ignored, for the reason thathe would
weaken Gov. McGilfs chances. ae7Heg
''His record while member of the
legislature was too well known to the
Democrats; and then StOrdock abated
his demands and wanted to be railroad
commissioner, or else dictate the COM;
position of the commission, -~s
.'But j. j. Hill entered most en-
phatic protest against him, declaring
a
commissioner there would be no end to
his demands and he would have to be
looked after every change of the moon.
StOrdOck became desperate and went off
to an obscure hotel in st. Paul and pro-
ceeded to ventilate his grievances to any
one who would listen to him. He must
be silenced for the good of the cause.
so one morning before he was out of
bed, no less than five
INFLUENTIAL POLITICIANS
called on him and assured him that he
should be fixed comfortably if he would
only keep quiet. This he promised to
do, and in casting about for place for
him, it was determined to GUST Warden
Reed and this accounts for Stordock's
present situation. While many Of the
people of Saltwater were angry at the
discharge of Reed, yet when the new
daily received and would have been
tolerated but for his methods.
From the beginning of his career as
warden, he began series of reforms, as
he termed them, in the interest of econ
omy, and wherever he saved dollar in
the running expenses of the institution
he caused it to be blazoned forth to the
world through the press. But he neg
lectedtO state that he had increased the
salaries of the employees of the prison
fully so per cent, simply that he might
make them allies in retaining his posi-
ton. Then he began his system of col
lecting evidence against his predecessor
and relied upon the testimony of con-
victs and the lawless characters under
his charge to subStantiate his tales. Re-
porters were solicited to come to Still
water and interview the inmates of the
penitentiary, but believe solely with a
desire to fOrtify StOrdock in his situa-
ton and not with any idea of an investi-
CATION of the,priSOn methods. Finally,
however, the matter assumed such gil
gantic proportions that the governor
was compelled to take cogniZance of it,
and that will account for the recent ex-
aiming committee from the state board
of charities and corrections"
- Grinding that he was being closely
pressed, Stordock has attempted to shift
the responsibility for his actions upon
the governor and prison inspectors, and
has even gone so far as to diSavow any
connection with the Prison Mirror,
when the first issue contained para
graph over his own signature that it
was an instrument of his own creating
and that he was responsible for its
HtteranceS.
ussIt was not long before the good peo-
pie of Saltwater were awakened to
realization of their danger, and it was
proven pretty conclusiyely that shrewd
men like Cole Younger and Landers,
the forger, were using the warden to
further their own ends, and were re-
ceiving unusual privileges not accorded
convicts whose terms were about to ex-
pire, let alone men who had committed
the grayest offenses against the law.
Here were men whose services belonged
to the state
ALLOWED TO KILL TINE
as they saw fit, and print what they
saw fit against worthy citizens, and all
under the sanction of the warden, who
by not prohibiting them tacitly consent
ed to their nefarious schemes. Then,
too, Stordock has charged me with in